Gate-operating device.



1 awaaa iami- W. T. WYCKOFF.

GATE OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION IIL $D 001. 24, 1910.

1,003,571. Patented Sept. 19,1911.

COLUMBIA PLANounAPH C0..WASH1NOTON, n. c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM T. WYCKOFF, OF LAMONT, OKLAHOMA.

GATE-OPERATING- DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM T. WYOKOFF, citizen of the United States,residing at Lamont, in the county of Grant and State of Oklahoma, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Operating Devices,of which the following is a speoification.

This invention relates to gate operating devices and has for one of itsobjects to simplify and improve the construction and increase theeiliciency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructeddevice whereby a gate may be placed in position to be readily opened andlocked in open position by the same mechanism which is employed inopening the gate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device whereby a gatemay be placed in position to automatically open by gravity, and thenlooked in open position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device whereby a gatemay be placed in position to automatically open by gravity, and withmeans operating to adjust the gate at any desired height withoutinterference with the releasing or locking means.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims; and, in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure l is aside elevation of the improved apparatus showing the gate in closedposition; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a view similar toFig. 1, showing the gate in its elevated position ready to be opened;Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the construction ofthe lower hinge.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indi cated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The improved device is designed more particularly for use with thelarger classof farm gates, and may be applied to gates of various sizesand construction, but for the purpose of illustration is shown appliedto a gate represented conventionally at 10. The usual hinge post 11 andlatch post 12 are employed, with the hinge post of greater length thanthe latch post as shown. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 24, 1910.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

Serial No. 588,817.

fence structure is represented conventionally at 13 and leading from theposts 11-12. The gate is hingedly united at its lower side at 14 by anelongated pintle 15 attached to the post 11, and at its upper side islikewise hingedly united at 16 by an elongated pintle 17 attached to thepost 11. The hinge member 1 1- is slotted longitudinally, as shown at18, so that the gate has a certain movement longitudinally upon thepintle 15, the object to be hereafter explained. Connected to the latchpost 12 are spaced stops 19, between which the extended ends 20 of twoof the gate rails rest when the gate is in closed or lowered position asshown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the gate is thus in closed position it iseffectually maintained from movement in either direction, but byelevating the free end of the gate, which is possible by reason of theslot 18 of the hinge member let, the gate will be released fromengagement with the stops, and free to swing in either direction, ashereafter more fully explained.

Swingingly connected at 21 to the gate 10 and spaced from its free endis a vertical support 22, and pivoted at 23 to this support is a clevis24, and leading from the clevis is a loop like device 25 which passesaround the gate at its free end. The gate is provided with a pluralityof notches 26 into one of which the loop 25 engages, so that the member22 may be adjusted upon its pivot 21, the object to be hereafterexplained.

Pivoted at 27 to the gate at its free end is a catch 28 which engageswhen in outer position beneath one of the stops 19 and thus locks thegate from upward movement. By this arrangement the gate is firmly heldfrom displacement by hogs or other animals. The catch member 28 isprovided with a weight 29 which operates to automatically release thecatch.

Pivoted to the member 22, preferably by the same pivot 23 by which theclevis is connected thereto, is a lever 30 with its free end inclinedand bearing when in one position against the catch and holding the samein engagement with the stop 19 and agalnst the resistance of the weight29.

-Hinged at 31 to the hinge post 11, preferably near its upper end andthus spaced above the top of the gate, is a loop 32, the lower end ofthe loop being connected at 33 to a rod 3 1 and the rod in turnconnected at 35 to the shorter end of the lever 30.

Connected to the lever 30 is a hook 36 to enable the lever to be coupledto the rod 34 when in its reversed position, as shown in Fig. 3, andthus maintain the gate in elevated position. The end member of the gate.10 next to the hinge post is extended above the body of the gatethrough the loop 32, as shown at 37, and remains constantly within theloop.

The elongated pintles 1517 provide for the elevation of the gate to anyposition within the length of the pintles, so that the gate may beelevated in the winter time to pass over snow or ice, the extendedportion 37 of the gate operating loosely through the loop and notaffected by this upward adjustment of the gate.

Mounted to swing upon the gate 10 is a rod 38 having a section of chain39 coupling the rod at 40 to the upper hinge pintle 17. By this simplemeans when the gateis to be elevated, as above noted, the chain isdisconnected from the hook on the rod 38 and the gate elevated and thechain recoupled ata new point, and thus operate to hold the gate in itselevated position. When the gate is thus elevated it will be necessaryto relocate the stops 19, and this can readily be done by providing anextra gain or recess 41 in the post 12 into which the stops can besecured by bolts or other fastening means.

With a device thus constructed when the lever 30 is in its lowerposition the gate is maintained in closed position as shown in Figs. 1and 2. When the gate is to be opened the operator moves the lever 30over into position substantially parallel with the rod 34, this actionapplying strain to the gate and elevating the free end of the same andreleasing the gate from the stops 19. This disposes of the gate inposition to be readily swung int-o open position, and when the requiredopen position is reached the lever 30 islikewise released which permitsthe gate to drop into its former position. Any suitable means may beprovided for holding the gate in its open position, such for instance asa post 42 provided with stops 43 similar to the stops 19. Thus the gateis held in closed or open position in substantially the same manner, andwhen the gate is to be closed the operator actuates the lever 30 in thesame manner as when opening the gate. The gate may be arranged to openand close in either direction or open from one side only as may bepreferred, without structural change of any kind, except to providetwoof the stop posts 42 and their stops 43.

The improved device is simple in construction and can be applied togates of various sizes and forms. By employing a plurality of thenotches 26 the free end of the gate may be adjusted vertically to anyrequired extent, so that when opened its free end will be caused to riseto a greater or lesser extent, and thus adapt the gate to the conditionsof the ground adjacent to the gateway opening.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a gate operating device, a hinge post, a gate hingedly connectedto said hinge post, a rod connected to swing at one end to said hingepost, a lever pivoted near one end to said gate and connected at oneside of its pivot to said rod and cooperating therewith to elevate thefree end of the gate when in one position, and means for detachablyconnecting said lever to said rod.

2. In a gate operating device, a hinge post and a latch post at oppositesides of a gateway opening, a gate hingedly connected to said hingepost, stops carried by said latch post and engaging the gate when in itslowered position, a rod connected to swing at one end to said hingepost, a lever pivoted to said gate and connected at one side of itspivot to said rod and cooperating therewith to elevate the free end ofthe gate and release it from the stops when disposed in one position,and means for detachably connecting said lever to said rod.

3. In a gate operating device, a hinge post,

a gate hingedly connected to said hinge post,

a rod connected to swing at one end to said hinge post, a lever pivotednear one end to said gate and connected at one side of its pivot to saidrod and cooperating therewith to elevate the free end of the gate whenin end to said gate and connected at one side i of its pivot to said rodand cooperating therewith to elevate the free end of the gate when inone position, adjusting means operating to control the relativepositions of said rod and lever, and means for detachably connectingsaid lever to said rod.

5. In a gate operating device, a hinge post, a gate hingedly connectedto said hinge post, a rod connected to swing at one end to hinge post, alever pivoted near one end to said gate and connected at one side of itspivot to said rod and cooperating therewith to elevate the free end ofthe gate when in one position, adjusting means operating to con trol therelative positions of said rod and lever, a latch device operating toprevent upward displacement of said gate and engaged by said lever whenin one position, and means for detachably connecting said lever to saidrod.

6. In a gate operating device, a hinge post,

a gate hingedly connected to said hinge post, a rod connected to swingat one end to said hinge post, a standard swinging upon said gate, alever pivoted near one end to said standard and connected at one side ofits pivot to said rod and cooperating therewith to elevate the gate whenin one position, means for detachably connecting said lever to said rod,and adjusting means operating to control the positions of said rod andlever relative to the gate.

7. In a gate operating device, ahinge post and a latch post at oppositesides of a gate way opening, a gate, hinges swingingly connecting saidgate to the hinge post, one of said hinges including a slotted memberoperating to permit the movement of the gate toward and away from thehinge post, stops carried by said latch post and engaging the gate whenin its lowered position, a rod connected to swing at one end to saidhinge post, a lever pivoted to said gate and connected at one side ofits pivot to said rod and 00- operating therewith to elevate the freeend of the gate and free it from the stops when in one position, andmeans for detachably connecting said lever to said rod.

8. In a gate operating device, a hinge post, a gate hingedly connectedto said hinge post with the end member adjacent to the hinge postextended upwardly, a loop connected to swing at one end to said hingepost and through which the extended portion of the gate is slidablydisposed, a rod connected to swing at one end to said loop, a leverpivoted near one end to said gate and connected at one side of its pivotto said rod and cooperating therewith to elevate the free end of thegate when in one position, and means for detachably connecting saidlever to said rod.

9. In a gate operating device, a hinge post, a gate hingedly connectedto said hinge post, a loop connected to swing at one end to said hingepost and through which the gate is slidably disposed, a rod connected toswing at one end to said loop, a lever pivoted near one end to said gateand connected at one side of its pivot to said rod and cooperatingtherewith to elevate the free end of the gate when in one position, andmeans for detachably connecting said lever to said rod.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM T. IVYCKOFF. [11. s.] Vitnesses E. G. PALMER, C. A. BLASDEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe C0mmissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

